Commissioners spent a substantial portion of the meeting on a pair of linked issues: who will fund E‑911 operations beginning in 2026, and a City of Fort Scott request that the county provide asphalt for municipal paving.

Several commissioners said City commissioners had told the county they would withdraw or redirect their E‑911 contribution if the county did not provide asphalt. One participant summarized a Fort Scott meeting as saying the city manager had authority to negotiate and that “if he don't get it done, then we're not paying $9.01 1 anymore starting in 2026.” Commissioners characterized that statement as a threat and said it heightened the urgency of finalizing budget numbers before the RNR hearing.

County leaders said they want to help the city but need operational certainty before committing funds. Public works staff reported intermittent asphalt‑plant capacity and equipment outages and told commissioners the county’s crew would need two to three weeks to stabilize operations before taking on a large additional municipal paving contract. Public works also reported that the amount of crushed rock available for asphalt depends on where the crusher is sited and that staff did not deliberately “crush extra” supply beyond the county’s plan when tasked earlier in the year.

Why it matters: E‑911 is an essential public‑safety function. Commissioners emphasized they will not allow a unilateral drop in E‑911 service and said the county must plan for the worst case when finalizing the levy figures for publication. Several commissioners said a solution could be for the city to keep E‑911 and the county to pay a negotiated contribution or to transfer the service into county control — either way a clear funding path must be set before budget adoption.

Next steps: Commissioners asked staff and the public‑works liaison (Dustin and Eric were named in discussion) to confirm whether the county can supply the quantity of asphalt the city requests and to model worst‑case budget impacts if the city reduces or ends its E‑911 contribution. The commission set a Monday work session at 4 p.m. to review updated figures and asked that the county publish a budget scenario that assumes the county will retain full responsibility for E‑911 if necessary.

No final intergovernmental agreement or contract was approved at the meeting. The commission adjourned after setting the Monday follow‑up session.